NRS-15934 | Letter Registers - Staff

This series of volumes are Letter Registers that were maintained by the Mechanical Branch. These volumes registered the Workshop Manager’s internal correspondence regarding staffing and employment matters relating to the Eveleigh Locomotive Workshops.At the front of each volume is an index that refers to the following subjects: apprentices; industrial disputes; Shop Committee; stop-work meetings; staff papers; union matters; position vacancies; application for union leave; safety promotion and subscription lists. Entries were arranged alphabetically in each volume, either by subject or by staff surname.Each entry records the letter or memorandum received by date, the progressive number allocated, subject, the section or person it was forwarded to, date forwarded and remarks. An entry may be referenced to others in the series via the format of Year/ Progressive Number/ Page Number.Progressive numbers that were allocated between 1961 and 1966 inclusive are odd, with even numbers allocated from 1967. Allocation tables of Progressive Number and Page Number are given at the front of several volumes in the series, as are copies of circulars governing correct record keeping procedures.Entries recording matters that were addressed in correspondence include applications for transfer to other workshops or positions; resignations and terminations of employment; industrial disputes; occupational health and safety issues (silicosis surveys, examinations of lead levels in workshop atmosphere); workers compensation (judgements under the Dust Diseases Workers Compensation Act); enrolment for National Service in the Military; notifications of illness and death of workers. Entries in later volumes record the destruction of certain correspondence files. Lists of the names and trades of apprentices are provided, as are position vacancies.Custody History:From 1955 until 2000 the State Rail Authority of New South Wales maintained an ‘in house archives’ consisting of the archival records of the Authority, its predecessor agencies and the private railway companies taken over by the government. The date ranges of the records were from 1849 until 2000. When the decision was made to close the ‘State Rail Archives’ the parts of the collection that were required as State archives were transferred to the State Records Authority of NSW. Those record series were incorporated into the State Records series system of archives control and were re-numbered.This series was formerly part of the State Rail Archives collection where it was identified as series R101. It may have been viewed in the State Rail Archives as series R101 and could have been previously cited as such in notes by researchers at State Rail Archives or in publications or unpublished works